The anthracyclines daunorubicin and adriamycin are of great current interest in view of their activity against various experimental tumors as well as some types of human cancer. The activity of these compounds can be improved by structural modification, since 4-demethoxydaunorubicin is four to eight times more active than daunorubicin itself. The objective of our proposed study is the development of a basically new and simple synthesis of the aglycones 4-demethoxydaunomycinone and 4-demethoxyadriamycinone. This work will provide an improved practical route to 4-demethoxydaunorubicin and a synthesis of the hitherto unreported 4-demethoxyadriamycin.